26.5.15

"I could still see the value of their contributions — they were bringing widespread awareness to the movement which could lead to girls supporting and identifying as feminist, and digging deeper. Increasingly, I understood that I did not have to agree with all of their views, and that feminist role models don’t necessarily have to be celebrities. My mom works her hardest to support me on her own. She has never depended on a man for the happiness and success she’s attained. She taught me that I can achieve anything I want — no matter how hard it is, dress however I want, and not to take shit from anyone (if I’m in the right, which I am 99 percent of the time). She’s one of my biggest feminist role models.

On Twitter, I found other black girls and girls of color struggling with feeling like outsiders in the world of feminism. I began to align myself with feminists who valued intersectionality and not just feminism for and about white women. Unlike the conversations going on in the mainstream, my conversations with these women focused on issues important to us — women of color, trans women, and gay and queer women. These women have made me feel comfortable, liberated, and less alone : I can speak about topics from firsthand experience without wondering whether or not I’ll fit a perfect feminist mold. We support each other by giving each other compliments, encouraging each other when we feel down, and encouraging each other to speak up."